


Another Cheesy Christmas Story

by canpru



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: F/F, F/M, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Miscarriage, Multi, Other, Parent Death, nonbinary!belarus, tw: hetalia in 2021
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:28:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29520864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canpru/pseuds/canpru
Summary: Natalia didn’t hate Christmas, despite what their siblings would tell you. What they did hate, was their feelings for a certain pretty blonde girl they worked with.
Relationships: America/Ukraine (Hetalia), Belarus/Liechtenstein (Hetalia), Canada/Prussia (Hetalia), England/France (Hetalia), Finland/Sweden (Hetalia)
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, the formatting on this will probably be really fucked up. This was written as a Christmas gift to my friend Salem, and I've copy and pasted it from a document with a few edits. I feel like an old man using this website. I apologize if Natalia switches pronouns from they/them to she/her in here. The pronouns Natalia uses in this are they/them I just caught myself messing up and will come back and edit this if I or anyone else catch it.

Natalia didn’t hate Christmas, despite what their siblings would tell you. They just never were able to celebrate it growing up. Their eldest sibling, Katyusha, was forced to grow up too fast and take care of them. Their parents had passed away years ago, when she was only seventeen. A year in the system and another spent working her ass off so she could take responsibility for Natalia and Ivan, their brother. Natalia had only been about seven, and they had never celebrated it before. 

Though, their parents had moved everyone to America just before their passing. If they didn’t know about it before, they had no choice now. Natalia didn’t much care about all of it, or most holidays for that matter. But, Katyusha was different. She was already a quite dramatic person, but she just had to go and find Alfred, the most annoying man Natalia and Ivan had ever met. Natalia couldn’t remember if their sister had ever cared for the holiday before she met her now husband. After all, Natalia knew the holiday was celebrated pretty much everywhere! 

They did however, not remember their parents being home very often. If there wasn’t really a family to celebrate, what was the point? 

It didn’t matter now anyways. Katyusha loved the holiday, and so did Ivan. Natalia wasn’t very keen on change. The songs were annoying. The movies were cheesy. The decorations were expensive and obnoxious. But worst of all, finding the perfect gift was impossible! 

Katyusha was pretty easy to please, she refused to throw away anything her siblings brought home from school. You could bring her flowers and she’d burst into tears. But that meant she never told you what she  _ WANTED _ . Ivan was even worse. He wouldn’t tell you what he wanted because he never KNEW what he wanted. Every gift was a guess but at least he seemed to like them. Then there was Alfred, Natalia’s new brother in law. That man never asked for a gift, but you knew he wanted something. He always wanted something and ALWAYS went all out. One year he got both Katyusha and Natalia these necklaces that were at least a couple thousand. Katyusha cried but Natalia yelled at him. Now they HAD to wear it everyday because if they didn’t they’d feel so ashamed. But that meant sitting out in every gym class because it was either leaving it in a locker to be stolen or going to class with it on and breaking it. 

It got even worse. With Alfred coming along in their family, he brought his along every year. That meant shopping for his brother, Matthew. That meant shopping for their dads, Francis and Arthur. That meant shopping for their cousin Peter and HIS DADS, Berwald and Tino. That meant shopping for Gilbert, Matthew’s husband.

Berwald and Tino always said they didn’t want anything from them. Not that Natalia knew what they could ever get Berwald. Not many people intimidated them, but he sure did. Peter however, was a kid. Natalia could not stand seeing his sad eyes when he had nothing to open when he came over. Even if they knew his fathers had already spoiled him. Arthur and Francis were the same, but just like Alfred they just HAD to go all out every year. Natalia must have worked every hour they were awake some days just so they wouldn’t feel awful. Matthew and Gilbert were complete opposites. Matthew would just about sob out of guilt if you got him anything. Gilbert would give you a list if you let him, not that Matthew would allow that to happen. 

Yeah, gifts were definitely the worst part of Christmas. But, they always felt a little warm watching the happy and shocked faces as their family opened their gifts every year. Not that they’d ever admit it. 

This Christmas however, was just a little bit worse. Trying to manage a job, college AND Chritsmas was hard enough. But Natalia just had to go and fall in love with her coworker. Erika had started working with her about six months ago. Being a waitress was not the easiest job, but it was especially hard for Erika. The girl was clumsy, a crybaby and incredibly shy. And Natalia had to help her way more than they liked. Especially when a customer was just a little bit too mean. Natalia never thought they could yell that loud. 

Through the months, Natalia had gotten closer to Erika. And they had fallen head over heels for the blonde. Not that they would ever admit that, at least not yet. They had a plan, but there was one thing getting in the way of that. They had written the letter, poured their whole heart out into it. About four pages worth of it. They had bought the flowers, although they were fake. All that was left was the gift, the hardest part. 

What could they buy for the girl that gave them everything they needed with just a smile? Natalia had no idea, but they had gone to just about every store looking for it. They either were too crowded, closed, too expensive or didn’t have anything that was good enough in their eyes. 

It didn’t help that Natalia was so busy with work and school, so they barely had time to look. They didn’t have a car either and they were already exhausted while shopping. It had been two weeks, and Christmas was three days away. Natalia didn’t wanna bother her on Christmas either, they both were spending time with their families. And Natalia’s was stupidly huge. So they would have to give her the gift by Christmas Eve. 

Natalia tried asking her siblings for help, even asking Alfred. Alfred only offered to help Natalia pay for whatever they wanted to get her, as he had no ideas. Natalia had never left a conversation faster. Ivan was no help, he didn’t feel anyone was good enough for his siblings. He simply told her not to bother, with that sick smile of his. Katyusha was almost as unhelpful, doting on Natalia and teasing them for being lovesick. Before Natalia knew it, Katyusha had told EVERYONE. Francis was probably the one most excited, especially since he had always claimed he’d “take care of” any man who tried to speak to them. Still, his options were things they had already done. Arthur and Matthew luckily had ACTUAL ideas. 

Both had brought up the idea of making Erika something instead. Arthur offered to help them bake her something. (Natalia quickly declined.) Matthew’s idea was more on the crafting side. While Natalia was willing to learn, making something like a blanket would probably take way longer than a day or two. 

“You know, making something might mean a lot more to her.” Matthew said, as he continued to unpack alongside Tino and Berwald. 

“Matthew and I are pretty good at sewing, and he can knit! We could help you.” Tino chimed in. 

“I was hoping you wouldn’t mention that. It makes me feel like an old man.” Matthew blushed. 

“I think, in a way. We are all old.” Berwald mumbled, his voice rough. Matthew only blinked in response. 

  
  


“I still think you should go with the baking idea.” Tino hummed. 

“Arthur can’t bake. He thinks he can, but I couldn’t give her something that would make her sick.” Natalia said, feeling a little guilty. 

“Make two batches. Pretend to follow his directions. We’ll eat what he makes and you give her what you make.” Matthew suggested. 

“Don’t put us through that.” Gilbert said from the other side of the room. 

Natalia decided that was a pretty good option, and so later that night that’s just what they did. Though, having Alfred AND Arthur help with the icing was a very big mistake. 

Christmas Eve morning, Natalia put everything in a box and wrapped it up as carefully as they could. Their heart already pounding as they walked out the front door, they made their way to Erika’s house. They tried their best to stay calm, not wanting to give up before they even got there. Even if Erika rejected them, at least they had nothing to hide anymore. 

Walking to her front door was probably the hardest part. Each step made Natalia feel just a bit more dizzy. Knocking felt like a kick to the stomach. Waiting was even worse, especially when they began hearing footsteps. 

_ “Can’t give up now.”  _ Natalia told themselves. 

“Hey Erika I got you something!” Natalia blurted out as the door opened. “Oh...it’s you.”

“Hello.” Basch, Erika’s older brother replied dryly. “This is for my little sister?” 

“Yeah..?” Natalia didn’t much like Erika’s older brother. He was boring and annoying. What kinda name is Basch anyways? 

There was also the issue where Basch had been in love with them for months, going as far as getting a job as a waiter there to spend time around them. He never acted like it, but Natalia knew because Erika had told them. However, Basch KNEW Natalia only liked women. Which on top of him being awkward and shy, made him act even weirder. He’d act stoned faced when Natalia spoke to him but as soon as they turned away he was as red as a beet. 

“Can you make sure she gets it?” Natalia asked, her voice sounding pleading now.

“Sure.” He didn’t even look at them, looking behind him instead. 

“Thank y-” They were cut off by Basch shutting the door. 

_ “I’ll send her a text just in case he forgets. Or opens it himself.”  _ With that, they pulled out their phone and made their way home. 

_**Erika:** thank you so much for the gift, nat!!! :) (7:47 pm)_

_**Natalia:** You're welcome, did you open it yet? (7:47 pm)_

_**Erika:** not yet i thought you'd want me to wait until tomorrow :0 (7:48 pm)_

_**Natalia:** Well you could, but there is some food in there. Not just candy. (7:49 pm)_

_**Erika:** oh i see.....hmm. okay, i'll open it! i don't want it to go bad. (7:49 pm) _

_**Natalia:** Please tell me what you think about it as soon as you do. (7:50 pm)_

_**Natalia:** Is everything okay? Did you not like it? (8:45 pm)_

_**Natalia:** I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable or anything. That really wasn't my intention. (9:30 pm)_

Natalia couldn’t help but begin to cry. Why was this happening? Why did they do this? What if Erika never wanted to see them again? What if she was disgusted? 

Natalia closed their door, locking it for good measure. They made their way to their bed and crawled under the covers. Using their pillow to muffle their sobs. Everything was ruined. They’d have to quit their job to make sure they didn’t make her uncomfortable. They’d have to lose one of their best friends. They’d have to block Basch everywhere so he didn’t message them and say how awful they made his little sister feel. 

Natalia thought about when they had first met Erika. How their heart skipped a beat when they saw her smile. How their hands brushed together when they were teaching Erika how to set a table. How Erika would run up to them in tears because someone was being difficult. How Natalia had an argument with a man who dared to berate Erika for a simple mistake. How Erika was on her hands and knees crying as she picked up the broken glass from the cups she had dropped. And how her hand felt in theirs as they cleaned her wound and wrapped her up. How Erika thanked them the next day with a hug. 

They thought about when Erika called them crying because she had gotten into a fight with her little brother. They thought about when Natalia came out to her, the first time they had cried in front of her. How Erika smiled and wiped their tears and said she still loved them. That their identity wouldn’t change that, as long as they were still the same Natalia and still kind to her. They thought about how on Natalia’s birthday they had called out sick. They were missing their parents, and didn’t even want to talk to Katyusha or Ivan. But Erika, Erika came to visit and as soon as she closed the door Natalia was crying and hugging her so tight they feared the blonde would break. How Erika was the one that got them to go out of their room and celebrate. They thought about how she looked with frosting on her nose. 

And they cried. They cried till they fell asleep, ignoring the knocks and calls for their name. 

_**Katyusha:** Ivan said you aren't answering the door, his texts or his calls. Is everything okay, sweetie? You know you can always talk to me! I love you with my whole heart kiddo! At least come down to eat? I'll make whatever you want! I promise! (10:00 pm)_

_**Ivan:** come out right now or I'll tell Alfred to kick down your door and then he'll comfort you and it'll be awkward (10:02 pm)_

_**Alfred:** Hey kiddo you better come eat now or the kitchen will be closed!!! (10:10 pm)_

_**Ivan:** Nat please at least talk to Katyusha. She's really worried, we all are. You know we'd have your back. If you don't wanna talk to her, at least talk to me. I promise no one is mad at you. (10:45 pm)_

_**Alfred:** Hey, we all love you a lot you know. (10:46 pm)_

_**Peter:** r u mad at me because I won the 1v1? i promise i'll let you win next time :(( i don't even like overwatch anymore promise (11:00 pm)_

_**Matthew:** Hey kiddo, we love you lots. Please sleep well, and in the morning me and Kat will make you whatever you want to eat, okay? (11:00 pm)_

_**Arthur:** Did my cooking make you feel ill? I'm sorry. (11:02 pm)_

_**Francis:** Please talk to your sister, she's worried sick and crying her heart out. (11:10 pm)_

_**Arthur:** Ivan and Kat are getting worried. (11:10 pm)_

_**Katyusha:** It's okay if you don't wanna come down and watch everyone open their gifts. But at least come down for breakfast? You need to eat. Would you prefer we wait? I would feel wrong if we opened them without you anyways. (5:00 am)_

_**Ivan:** If you don't come out I'm coming in. If you don't want that to happen at least read the messages so I know you're alive. (5:00 am)_

_**Alfred:** Time to wake up!! We miss you lots. (10:24 am)_

_**Francis:** Please talk to us, darling. (10: 32 am)_

_**Matthew:** Hey, you must be hungry by now. Come on out and I'll make you some pancakes! Unless you want something else... (11:00 am)_

_**Erika:** can we talk? (2:34 am)_

_**Erika:** I can't do this over text (10:24 am)_

Natalia threw their phone across the room, crying into their hands. They didn’t want any of this. They didn’t want to make anyone sad, or angry. They didn’t want anyone uncomfortable. They didn’t want anyone to worry. 

They felt awful, selfish and embarrassed. How could they do this to their family on Christmas? How could they make Katyusha cry, and Peter blame himself? How could they ruin everything with Erika? 

_ “I must be the most awful person on the planet.” _ They thought to themselves, sobbing louder. The knocks stopped coming, and somehow they hurt even worse. 

By five that evening, they still hadn’t left their room, but they knew they couldn’t stay there forever. So, with a heavy heart, they forced themselves into the shower, passing by a relieved Ivan as they walked back to their room. 

“Are you going to come into the living room? We’re watching movies.” Ivan tried, his voice soft. 

“Let me brush my hair first.” They said, staring down at their feet. 

“Want me to bring you some water? Katyusha left a bottle by your door but Peter tripped on it and we put it in the fridge.” Ivan sounded hopeful, and the kindness made Natalia’s heart hurt. They missed their family.

There was so much they wanted to say. They wanted to apologize to everyone, to explain everything. To tell them Natalia loved them with all they had. They wanted to hug them and open gifts, laugh with them and cuddle up with Peter as they watched Frosty The Snowman for the fifth year in a row together. 

“These pajamas are ugly.” Was all they could let out, laughing as tears fell down their face. 

Ivan smiled. “Maybe it’s the person wearing it.” He immediately regretted it. “Katyusha sure does have a weird obsession with this holiday, making everyone match.”

Natalia sighed. Everything would be okay.

  
  
  


It turns out, no one had opened their gifts yet. They had all wanted to wait for Natalia, something that made them feel a bit better. It went as well as it could, tears from Katyusha and Matthew. Peter being impatient because he had to open his last to avoid feeling left out. Natalia scolding everyone yet again for wasting so much on them. Dinner followed soon after, and so did the yearly guilt tripping from Arthur so SOMEONE would try whatever crazy dish he had brought that year. Natalia almost forgot why they were so upset, especially since everyone seemed to be acting normal now. If not a bit more gentle with them.

But that night, they were back in their room all alone with their thoughts. By eleven they had been completely drained, and everyone tried to give them the space they knew Natalia needed. Other than Peter, who cried and made them stay “just a little longer” to play with him. Natalia didn’t mind though. 

As they laid in bed, they took a deep breath. 

_ “It’ll be okay.”  _ They thought to themselves, and with that they drifted to sleep. 

  
  
  


“Natalia.” Katyusha said through the door. “Everyone decided to stay another week. So I need the laundry from your room.” 

“Jesus, Kat. Let me help you at least.” Natalia sighed as they opened the door. “The door was open, I was just trying to fix Peter’s toy. He was crying so much this morning and Berwald and Tino needed to sleep in. So I figured I’d take care of it.” 

“Well, I don’t want to bother you. After all I don’t work that much anymore.” Katyusha tried. “But, right now you have a guest, so I don’t want your help.”

Natalia felt like like someone had just punched them in the chest. Their face must have let Katyusha know because her face fell as well. 

“Natalia, I don’t know what happened between you and Erika. But I do know that she isn’t angry at you. She’s worried. Please, you can’t hide from this forever.” Katyusha said, stepping in and shutting Natalia’s door. 

“Please don’t cry.” Katyusha brought her hands up to Natalia’s face, whipping tears they didn’t know had started. “If you really don’t wanna talk to her, I’ll have Alfred drive her home. If you aren’t ready, she’ll understand. If she doesn’t, she isn’t worth your time, sweetheart.”

“No.” Natalia forced out. “I’m ready. I’m just scared. I confessed to her, and she didn’t reply for hours. And I think she’s disgusted with me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with how you feel about that girl, Natalia. There’s not a single thing wrong with you, you understand me? You’re a very smart, beautiful, kind, caring and amazing young….person.” Katyusha said, leaning in to kiss them on the forehead. “I’ll tell her to come in, but know we’re all here for you, okay?”

“Okay.” Natalia said, taking a deep breath. 

As Katyusha left the room, they sat on their bed and tried to wipe the tears off their face. They tried to stay calm. They tried to tell themselves everything would be okay. Taking another deep breath, they thought of their family.

  
  


Katyusha had never cried in front of them after their parents died. She pulled herself together and became their rock for a year. And the year after that, she did everything she could to get money and visited everyday trying to prove she was good enough to be their guardian. Natalia remembered how tired Katyusha always was, how much pain were behind her eyes. Natalia remembered how after Katyusha had to leave them, because she was too old, Ivan became strong for them. He never cried anymore. He’d pick fights with anyone who bothered Natalia. He would sneak into their bedroom at night and tell Natalia stories until they were calm enough to sleep. 

When the adults told Natalia it was time to “act like a big girl” he was always there to let them cry on his shoulders. And when Katyusha finally got them again, she cried. She cried so hard and so long, she pulled them in for a hug and it seemed like she would never let them go. Katyusha rarely got rest, between work and helping them with homework, cleaning and cooking she didn’t have anytime to herself. 

Then came Alfred. Natalia and Ivan hated Alfred. They thought he was stealing her away, and nothing he did was ever enough for them. When Natalia got sick and had to be picked up from school, and they saw Alfred there with his big stuipd grin, they screamed at him. Told him they hated him and wanted him to go away. They wanted Katyusha to come get them, they never wanted to see him again. His smile fell, but he never yelled at them. He only stared, his eyes full of guilt. 

When Alfred proposed to Katyusha, Natalia and Ivan had never seen her so happy. He wanted to take care of her and her siblings. She already had been home much more often and seemed so much healthier. Yet, she didn’t want to get married. Not till her siblings were happy.

So one day she pulled them into the living room, her bedroom at the time. She said it so simply.

“If you want him to go away, it’s okay. If you hate him this much, I’ll make him go away. We won’t get married. You’ll never see him again. If you are in this much pain, I’ll do whatever it takes for you two.” 

And that was all it took, Natalia and Ivan were crying in her arms again. Not long after, they were married and moved into a much better home. Natalia never apologized, but Alfred had already forgiven them.

Then came Matthew, Francis and Arhur. God, they adored Natalia. Spoiling them and their siblings with gifts and money and whatever they wanted. Then came Berwald and Tino, who loved them just as much. They were over almost everyday, helping Katyusha around the house and spending time with Ivan and Natalia. 

Natalia remembered the day Peter was born, how Tino had been watching them on a day they had been sick. How Tino got a call and began to cry, calling his husband and immediately rushing to a hospital with Natalia in tow. How Arthur had come to keep them company in the waiting room and they played for hours. Natalia remembered going home and not understanding why Tino was crying. 

Natalia didn’t understand what it meant for a baby to be sick, but they knew it made everyone sad. And weeks later, Tino had come over with a wrapped blanket in his arm. Natalia was told to sit on the couch and hold their arms out, carely being given the baby. Looking down, they saw Peter, and immediately the bond was formed. Even now Peter still called Natalia his favorite. 

Natalia had always been afraid of Berwald, hiding wherever he visited them. He never raised his voice at them, or even gave them a hug. He would only talk to them, ask Natalia how they were doing in school. And bring them gifts. And one day, Katyusha and Alfred were stuck in traffic. A snow storm had caused an accident. While Arthur and Francis were out of the country, it was left to Berwald and Tino to go take care of Natalia and Ivan. But Tino was so busy with the baby that when Natalia began to cry, missing their sister, Berwald was the only one there to comfort them. But they cried and told him to go away, that they wanted Tino instead.

And to their shock, Berwald cried too. He apologized and told them he didn’t mean to be so scary. That he’d never hurt them, that he’d do anything to protect them and their family. And Natalia finally understood that just because Berwald showed it a bit differently, he loved them just as much. 

They remembered Gilbert meeting them for the first time, and how he went out on Christmas Eve just because they cried over not having a gift for him. How he came back and told Katyusha to help Natalia wrap it. How they didn’t know about it for years. They remembered how Ivan taught them to swim after they were teased at school, and how he didn’t say a single mean thing to them. They remembered how one summer they had been so depressed they hadn’t brushed their hair in days. They remembered how Francis spent hours helping them, and even braided it so they’d feel pretty. They remembered how Matthew stayed up all night to remake their science project after they cried because Ivan had accidentally broken it. They remembered how Arthur had cried and rushed them to the hospital when they had broken their arm. How he told them he would never let anything bad happen to them again. They remembered how Tino let them paint his nails because at age thirteen they thought that’s what they wanted to do when they grew up.

Natalia took a deep breath and smiled. They were loved. They were cared about. They would never be alone. Even if they cried, or got a broken heart, their family would always be there for them.

“Natalia?” Erika slipped into their bedroom, shutting the door quietly. “I heard you weren’t feeling well. So I brought you some soup. It’s in the fridge though.” 

She looked down at her hands. “I read what you said. It was very beautiful.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” Natalia said, looking away. “I know that I still present as a girl. And I know that I’m comfortable with myself and with the fact I’d be fine walking down the street with a girl by my side. But I know you might not be okay with that.” 

“Natalia, you’re wrong.” Erika said, rushing to their side to take their hands in hers. “I like you. I like you a lot. I’ve liked you for a long time. But I was so scared you’d never feel that way about me.”

Natalia’s face began to heat up, but Erika continued.

“I’m nothing special, and I mean I never wanted to hurt my brother either. But...I’m just...also not very, good. You’re so pretty and funny and smart and kind and I’m...I’m. I’m me. I’m a crybaby and I’m clumsy and stupid. I could never compare to you.”

“You’re wrong. I think you’re the most amazing person I have ever met.” Natalia said, their heart racing. “I love you, Erika.”

“I..love you too, Natalia.” Erika smiled. “Does this mean...we’re dating?”

“Uhm, if you’d like!” Natalia said, their words coming out rushed. “I’d like to take you on a date first though. But..we can..yeah we can date.”

“So uh...what do I call you? Partner? Girlfriend?” Erika laughed.

“Whatever you want.” Natalia smiled back.

Things would be okay. 


	2. A Not So Cheesy Christmas Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is much shorter, but I wrote this for Christmas as well for my friend Juli. I just happened to be using the same au as the last chapter.

Katyusha had never celebrated Christmas before she met Alfred. It wasn’t like she had never heard of it before. But, her parents weren’t religious so she had never truly experienced it before she came to America. If the country was good for anything, it was being loud and proud of quite literally everything. Katyusha didn’t mind all the Christmas fuss very much. 

The songs were fun, the decorations were beautiful and the idea of spending a whole day with your family just eating and opening gifts sounded amazing to her. Katyusha loved her siblings with her whole heart, which is why she worked as much as she did. Anything she could find, she’d do it. No matter how tired she was, she’d do anything for her siblings. As long as they were safe and healthy that was all she cared about. 

Ivan and Natalia had never complained about not celebrating Christmas, so that helped her guilt during the season. But she had always dreamed one day she could celebrate with them both, and make them both happy. However, birthdays were hard enough. Not that Katyusha didn’t enjoy shopping for her siblings. But it was always expensive and it was hard enough to take care of them on a normal day. 

But then Katyusha met Alfred. At first Alfred was a bit annoying. Visiting her at work everyday, buying the oddest things just so he could have time to speak to her. Her boss had offered to make sure no one let him in, but Katyusha didn’t mind that much. After awhile it was kinda cute. She had exchanged her number with him, and before she knew it they were on a date. 

It had taken her siblings a while to get used to him, but they were both patient. After all, Alfred was amazing with kids. And soon they found themselves married and Katyusha was pregnant with their first child. Katyusha stopped working, as Alfred made enough for all of them and wanted to take care of her. 

Katyusha was happy, and things were going well. 

Until one day in August, when Katyusha was rushed to the hospital after she had noticed she had started bleeding uncontrollably. 

Katyusha had lost the baby, and she had almost lost her mind along with it. The first month, all she did was lock herself in the unfinished baby room and cry. The second month, she allowed Alfred to board it off. The next, they had started going to therapy. Some days Katyusha was alright, and some days it was hard to get out of bed.

Once December hit, Alfred came to her with an idea. They could start celebrating Christmas. It would be a nice distraction and Katyusha could finally do something she had wanted to for years. So, that’s what they did. 

The yard was full of an obnoxious number of decorations and lights. Katyusha found the ugliest matching sweaters and pajamas any of them had ever seen. She and Alfred learned to make the most sugar filled desserts they could find for the holidays. They had decorated the tree all together as a family, and the number of gifts was almost insane. Alfred bought as many cheesy Christmas movies as he could find, and on Christmas day they watched every single one. 

And Katyusha was happy, truly happy. 

One day, Alfred and Katyusha decided to try again, and by December 23rd that year they had a new mouth to feed. Katyusha had been in the hospital during Christmas, but as soon as she was out everyone was ready to do it just a little late. 

The pain never really went away, but everyday was a little easier. And every Christmas was a little better. Another candle was added next to her parents photos, and some days she needs to cry a little longer. But Katyusha knew it would be okay. 

  
  


She had Natalia, Ivan, and Alfred. Along with her little bundle of joy. That’s all she needed. 

Things would be okay.


End file.
